Paralyzed American patient shared his story thanks to the Neuralink chip developed by Elon Musk.
Bradford Smith from Arizona is suffering from lateral amyotrophic sclerosis (BAS), a severe degenerative disease of the central nervous system leading to the progressive loss of motor functions. He has lost almost all control over his body, retaining only minimal movement in the corners of his mouth and eyes, and is unable to speak.
The implanted chip in Smith’s brain enables him to type text through thought and translates it into speech. The voice heard in his video message is his own, recreated by artificial intelligence based on recordings from before he lost his ability to speak.
On X*, Smith expressed his gratitude to Elon Musk and invited users to ask him questions, assuring them he would respond to verified accounts.
Neuralink has made significant advancements in its technology. In September 2024, the FDA approved trials for the Blindsight implant designed to restore vision even in those who have lost their sight completely.
Butland Arbo, one of the first patients with a neuroimplant, shared his experience of learning foreign languages and controlling robotic systems. He showcased playing Counter-Strike and 3D modeling through thought power just two days after the device was connected. Neuralink implanted a second device with 400 electrodes in August, with plans for eight more operations by year-end.
Arbo’s story received widespread attention as the neurochip allowed him to regain communication freedom and use digital technologies. However, the company faced challenges early on with reports of implant wire displacement affecting stability.
Amid Neuralink’s success, other developers are striving to compete. In April 2024, the Chinese company Xinzhida tested the Neucyber chip on a monkey.
In March 2024, Neuralink introduced the Blindsight project for vision restoration, passing successful tests on monkeys. The first patient with a brain implant played chess through thought power.
Elon Musk has ambitious plans for Neuralink, aiming to implant neurochips in 2030 volunteers by 2030.
However, the project has also faced criticism. Reports in 2023 highlighted primate deaths during early testing stages of the devices.